Construction of Yangon’s Outer Circular Road to Begin by Year End

Attendees at the event for the submission of the prequalification applications for the first phase of the outer road. / Website of Myanmar’s Ministry of Construction

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By Myo Pa Pa San 22 February 2019

YANGON—Myanmar’s Ministry of Construction has announced it will construct two circular roads inside and outside Yangon with the assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Construction of the outer road is to be divided into four phases and will start with the eastern section, according to U Kyi Zaw Myint, deputy director general of the ministry’s road and bridge construction department.

The eastern section will link the Thilawa Special Economic Zone in Yangon’s Thanlyin with Hlegu; the northern section will link Hlegu with Hlaingtharyar; the western section will link Hlaingtharyar with Dala; and the southern section will link Dala with Thanlyin.

“We plan to build the eastern section first. As it will be a six-lane road, the investment will be huge,” he told reporters.

The eastern section will be 69 kilometers long, and will include a 1.4-kilometer long bridge across the Bago River. It will have a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour.

The ring road will link Thilawa Special Economic Zone, Mingalardon Industrial Zone, the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway and Yangon International Airport.

“The road will be 300 feet in width. We will be able to calculate the investment amount after developing the road design. It will be implemented as a public-private partnership,” said U Kyi Zaw Myint.

The construction ministry has selected 10 finalists for the construction of the eastern section, and will announce the tender winner in May. Construction of the first phase is expected to begin later this year and will take three years to complete.

On the list of finalists are Chinese, French, Japanese and Korea companies, Thai-Chinese joint ventures, and joint ventures between Myanmar and foreign firms.

The construction ministry will invite tender for phase two later this year, said U Kyi Zaw Myint.

According to JICA’s 2040 master plan for Yangon, there will be an inner and outer circular road connecting strategic points around the city.

The inner road will be an elevated highway, the first section of which will be 20 kilometers long and link Strand Road in downtown Yangon to Mingalardon Industrial Zone to the north via Pazundaung Township and Waizayana Road.

The second section of the inner road will be built through Kha Ye Pin Road, Mingalardon Road and Kyimyindaing Road to link Strand Road and Mingalardon Industrial Zone.

The plan aims to solve the notorious traffic problems in the commercial hub of Yangon where 90 percent of vehicles in entire country are driven.

“We are optimistic about the project. I have had to negotiate with local farmers in Hlegu [whose lands are required] for the construction. The project area will use around 50 acres of farmland,” Lower House lawmaker U Thein Tan told The Irrawaddy, adding that local farmers have accepted the rate of compensation offered by the construction ministry.